Improvement in skates



G. McCORD.

\ Skate.

No. 222,927. Patented 08 23,1 79.

INVENTOR;

BY ATTORNEYS.

N PETERS PNOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON D O UNITED STATES GEORGE MGGORD,OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN SKATES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 222,927, dated December23, 1879; application filed April 22, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE MoGoRn, of

the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Skates, of which the following is aspecification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of myimproved skate, partly in section; Fig. 2, a front View of the same.Fig. 3 is a side view of a parlorskate with my improvement, and Fig. 4is a front view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to so improve the common ice and parlorskates that the speed in skating may be considerably increased and theexercise rendered less fatiguing to the muscles of the foot; and the invention consists of an auxiliary sole-plate that is secured to theheelplate and cushioned by springs to the supporting sole-plate, beingfurthermore connected thereto at the front end by a guide and stopdevice.

Referrin g to the drawings, A represents a common skate, used forskating on ice, or a parlor-skate. The skate A is provided, at suitabledistance above the sole-plate B, with an auxiliary sole-plate, O, ofspring-steel or other metal, which is permanently secured to theheel-plate B, and supported, by means of steel or othercushioningsprings, D, on .the sole-plate. The front clamps or otherfastening devices are applied to the auxiliary soleplate (J, instead ofto the sustaining sole-plate B, as heretofore.

The front end of the auxiliary sole plate 0 is connected by a fixedguide and stop device, E, with the soleplate B, the guide device E beingmade either in the shape of a pillar with an enlarged or hook-shapedlower end, a, that is guided in a slot, b, of the supporting soleplate,or of U shape, the legs of the U passing through holes of thesole-plate, while the lower connecting or bridge piece forms the stop bycontact with the sole-plate, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4..

The use of the auxiliary spring-cushioned sole-plate facilitatesskating, as it assists the forward propulsion by giving at the frontpart to the weight thrown thereon by the body in its forward motion. Theauxiliary soleplat-e increases. the speed and heightens the enjoyment ofthe sport, while the cushioningsprings lessen the fatigue to which themuscles of the foot are exposed by the common skate with rigidsole-plate, and render thereby the art of skating more pleasant andenjoyable.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patentl. The combination, with an ice or parlor skate, of" anauxiliary sole-plate that is permanently attached to the heel-plate andsupported by cushioning-springs on the sole-plate proper,substantially-as set forth.

2. The combination of an ice or parlor skate with an auxiliaryspring-cushioned sole-plate, and with a guide and stop device,connecting the same at the front end with the supporting sole-plate ofthe skate, substantially as specified.

3. In skates, the combination of an auxiliary spring-cushionedsole-plate, that is permanently attached to the heel-plate and supportedabove the rigid sole-plate, with front clamping and fastening devicessecured thereto, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in presence of two witnesses this 21st day of April, 1579.

GEO. MCGORD. Witnesses:

D. R. MANGAM, J N0. W. VERDALEN.

